RoverAndOut 4,746 Posted August 4, 2023 1 minute ago, ladyfiona said: Don't know whether this is bad for Manchester United but Wrexham beat them in a friendly 3-1 recently. Not that bad, pre-season is nonsense really, just about fitness and I believe the team that played Wrexham was very young - they won't have been putting Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford out against a team in the 4th tier. Just about selling tickets and shirts in the USA that match. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BuffaloPhil 926 Posted August 5, 2023 Think I've missed a trick by not including Lopetegui, but anyone not including Ismael, given Watford's recent record, has missed a bigger trick! My team : Mauricio Pochettino (Chelsea) Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace) Erol Bulut (Cardiff) Neil Warnock (Huddersfield) Daniel Farke (Leeds) David Wagner (Norwich) Gareth Ainsworth (QPR) Russell Martin (Southampton) Valerian Ismael (Watford) Ian Evatt (Bolton) Joey Barton (Bristol Rovers) Paul Warne (Derby) Darren Ferguson (Peterborough) John Mousinho (Portsmouth) Ruben Selles (Reading) Pete Wild (Barrow) David Horseman (Forest Green) Simon Weaver (Harrogate) Nigel Clough (Mansfield) Michael Flynn (Swindon) 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BuffaloPhil 926 Posted August 5, 2023 Would be interested to hear @diego's selection methods - either he's put in an extraordinary amount of research, or taken some very random punts! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wannamaker 1,407 Posted August 5, 2023 38 minutes ago, BuffaloPhil said: Think I've missed a trick by not including Lopetegui, but anyone not including Ismael, given Watford's recent record, has missed a bigger trick! Don't know how I forgot about Watford, pretty much the easiest point in this game . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sly Ronnie 878 Posted August 5, 2023 1 hour ago, BuffaloPhil said: John Mousinho (Portsmouth) That looks like Jose Mourinho has sneaked back into managing in English football only he's using a very obvious alias. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Commtech Sio Bibble 2,028 Posted August 5, 2023 My team is made up of ten somewhat educated picks, 5 picks that I was told to include by a mate and then 5 random punts. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,641 Posted August 5, 2023 Diego is the only one who has Port Vale's Andy Crosby Despite 51% possession and one more shot than Barnsley they took a 7-0 thumping Do the board fund last minute signings for the forward line, or start wondering who might replace him in - say - a fortnight? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BuffaloPhil 926 Posted August 5, 2023 4 hours ago, wannamaker said: Don't know how I forgot about Watford, pretty much the easiest point in this game . Only a 4-0 win to start the season, that's probably not enough to keep his job! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoverAndOut 4,746 Posted August 7, 2023 On 05/08/2023 at 13:50, BuffaloPhil said: Think I've missed a trick by not including Lopetegui, but anyone not including Ismael, given Watford's recent record, has missed a bigger trick! Looks like you might have if the rumours pan out... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BuffaloPhil 926 Posted August 8, 2023 Yep, we (well, most of you ) have our first hit. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66437744 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sly Ronnie 878 Posted August 8, 2023 Lopetegui gone... Dis gona b fun. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyfiona 2,577 Posted August 8, 2023 1 up in the first few days. Never normally like me. Pity 6 other people also chose him, lol. Do we get bonus points for the team being an alliteration? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoverAndOut 4,746 Posted August 9, 2023 Yes, Julen Lopetegui gets this game underway before we've even got the first Premier League gameday out of the way! 7 players have taken their first steps to winning, 4 players are still in the starting gate. It's looked an uneasy alliance for a while, only seemed a matter of time before the dam broke. RAO, GUB, LF, W, MN, D, SR - 1 B, BP, CSB, MPFC - 0 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,570 Posted August 9, 2023 2 hours ago, RoverAndOut said: Yes, Julen Lopetegui gets this game underway before we've even got the first Premier League gameday out of the way! 7 players have taken their first steps to winning, 4 players are still in the starting gate. It's looked an uneasy alliance for a while, only seemed a matter of time before the dam broke. RAO, GUB, LF, W, MN, D, SR - 1 B, BP, CSB, MPFC - 0 This is where my lack of in depth knowledge failed me. From Wolves perspective I had thought they should be fucking grateful to Lopetegui for keeping them up when better teams deserved survival. I hadn't counted on movement the other way 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 18,437 Posted August 9, 2023 8 minutes ago, Bibliogryphon said: This is where my lack of in depth knowledge failed me. From Wolves perspective I had thought they should be fucking grateful to Lopetegui for keeping them up when better teams deserved survival. I hadn't counted on movement the other way I'm a bit behind in my football news but apparently Wolves are absolutely skint now. I had them marked as one of the better run clubs too. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoverAndOut 4,746 Posted August 9, 2023 1 hour ago, Bibliogryphon said: This is where my lack of in depth knowledge failed me. From Wolves perspective I had thought they should be fucking grateful to Lopetegui for keeping them up when better teams deserved survival. I hadn't counted on movement the other way Do I sense a little Leicester bitterness coming in there Biblio? It seems he was expecting survival last season and then kick on this season, the club made it clear they weren't financially in a position to kick on and would be cutting cloth accordingly, making another lower-mid-table finish a success. I think from that point onwards, he's been looking for a way out as it didn't appeal to him as a project. If it makes you feel better, it never occurred to me that Brighton might lose De Zerbi for a bigger team, and I couldn't see them sacking him after such a good season last year. We'll see if they can hold on to him... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,570 Posted August 9, 2023 58 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said: Do I sense a little Leicester bitterness coming in there Biblio? What an outrageous suggestion... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyfiona 2,577 Posted August 9, 2023 My knowledge of managing football is me watching Ted Lasso, Bend It Like Beckham and Welcome to Wrexham. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,570 Posted August 22, 2023 Peter Taylor is sacked by Eighth Tier side Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoverAndOut 4,746 Posted August 23, 2023 22 hours ago, Bibliogryphon said: Peter Taylor is sacked by Eighth Tier side A notable name but too far down even for this game!!! Perhaps a desperate League 2 side might be tempted to put an experienced head in charge, which is where he might fit into our little psychodrama. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,570 Posted August 23, 2023 I have noticed that the lower tier managers that I have picked have tended to have had a good start to the season. Still happy with my Premiership and Championship choices though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoverAndOut 4,746 Posted August 23, 2023 3 hours ago, Bibliogryphon said: I have noticed that the lower tier managers that I have picked have tended to have had a good start to the season. Still happy with my Premiership and Championship choices though Your Championship picks look solid (Farke already looks on borrowed time after Leeds's start and the Carrick honeymoon is most definitely over, while it's always good to have a Watford manager on the list, no matter how well they might be doing!) but your Premier League picks aren't as certain. Postecoglu has had a decent start at Spurs and I think the fans will give him some time after the loss of Kane just before the start of the season. Likewise Poch at Chelsea will need time, but it depends on what happens I suppose. Brentford have started well, the only way I see Frank leaving is if he's poached by someone bigger. But still very early days... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoverAndOut 4,746 Posted August 27, 2023 Another one bites the dust. We've not finished August yet! @Bibliogryphon and @maryportfuncity get off the mark, leaving only two with no hits as yet and nobody on more than 1. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,641 Posted August 28, 2023 9 hours ago, RoverAndOut said: Another one bites the dust. We've not finished August yet! @Bibliogryphon and @maryportfuncity get off the mark, leaving only two with no hits as yet and nobody on more than 1. OOhhh, game on - but not for Dean Holden 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,570 Posted August 28, 2023 11 hours ago, RoverAndOut said: Another one bites the dust. We've not finished August yet! @Bibliogryphon and @maryportfuncity get off the mark, leaving only two with no hits as yet and nobody on more than 1. I am not going to take any huge credit for this he was essentially a name from the lower leagues to fill the list. However, happy to be on the Scoreboard 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
